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How safe is air travel?

How safe is air travel post Egypt Air crash?

  • Not safe

    Votes: 3 13.0%

  • Very Safe

    Votes: 13 56.5%

  • Doesn't change anything for me

    Votes: 7 30.4%
  • Total voters
    23
MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
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Wonder if the Egypt Air crash changes your perceptions about air travel and safety
 
No, it doesn't change my opinion since I will be traveling to Pakistan in a few days anyways. I can only travel by plane.
 
I am not sure whether travelling by plane domestically is safe in Pakistan? I might just drive by car there.
 
Read a stat once. If a baby was born on a 747 and spent its entire life on the plane it'd live to 81 years old before it encountered a serious accident.

Planes are very very safe, but when accidents do happen they tend to be large scale. Thankfully they are very very rare when you consider the number of flights every day.
 
The difference is the quality of death. When a car knocks you, you fall down and bleed to death. In a plane crash, you experience the panic for minutes trapped in a falling capsule. Maybe the fuselage breaks mid air and you are left unconscious by the lack of air pressure and fall to your death, probably in a sea where you become shark food.
 
The problem is that you usually have no control over your destiny

In car crashes atleast you have some told to play
 
It's still the safest mode of transport by far. You only experience a crash or two, otherwise it's the best mode of transportation.
 
Dunno - in planes I feel like I have no control. In cars, somehow you feel that you would be able to walk away
 
CricketCartoons said:
The difference is the quality of death. When a car knocks you, you fall down and bleed to death. In a plane crash, you experience the panic for minutes trapped in a falling capsule. Maybe the fuselage breaks mid air and you are left unconscious by the lack of air pressure and fall to your death, probably in a sea where you become shark food.
Click to expand...

That's true. At least in a car accident the cause of death is easily identifiable and the family has some closure.

In a plane crash, the cause of death can be a complete mystery, with the black box and other wreckage irretrievable but worst of all the bodies may disappear without trace so the families can never give their loved one a proper burial.
 
Markhor said:
That's true. At least in a car accident the cause of death is easily identifiable and the family has some closure.

In a plane crash, the cause of death can be a complete mystery, with the black box and other wreckage irretrievable but worst of all the bodies may disappear without trace so the families can never give their loved one a proper burial.
Click to expand...

I'd rather not die than die with an identifiable cause.

And you are 60 times more likely to die per kilometer traveled on car than on plane, and 2400 times more likely to die per kilometer traveled on motorcycle than on plane.

As far as the role to play is concerned, there is not any more control in being hit by a drunk driver or a semi with failed breaks.

Personally, I always sleep easier in a plane than in a car.
 
If things go wrong in a plane, you die. If something goes wrong in a car, there's still a good chance that we can survive.

This is the reason we feel more nervous in a plane even though it is a lot safer.
 
It depends what criteria you are looking for. It is definitely safer when you consider the odds of accidents per 100 number of flights vs per 100 number of car trips or any other mode of transport, but I am sure if you look at fatalities per plane accident vs per car accident the plane will come out way on top. So like many folks said chances of being in plane incident was way lower but the chances of surviving a plane incident are even lower.

Also if you are a frequent flyer the nervousness goes down a lot but doesn't completely go away.
 
The chances of something going wrong are much fewer other forms of transport but if something does go wrong then the chances of survival are slim to nil.
 
As safe as it's ever been. The worst period for aviation and crashes was between 1970 and the early 1990s where many more people died per year than they do now. Since 2000 the number of crashed passenger jets and hence deaths have been relatively low.

And when you consider just how much more planes are actually in the sky compared to the 70s, 80s etc you'll find that flying is still one of the most safest modes of transport out there.

crash-by-year_3542659b.jpg
 
IslamabadUnited said:
I am not sure whether travelling by plane domestically is safe in Pakistan? I might just drive by car there.
Click to expand...

Qualified pilots fly the planes, not random people. It's as dangerous/safe as anywhere else .

And depends on what route you're taking, how long is the drive.
 
As for op,

Statistically it's the safer option.

BUT

There's least chance of survival too if something does happen..... Can't escape. :|

I wish every passenger seat had a parachute.
 
Air travel is super safe - however I would be weary of the routes I was travelling and the carrier - definitely would be avoiding countries that are going through islamic tension.
 
It maybe is the safest way of travelling but I always feel like absolute crap during the flight. I literally have panic attacks and I start to have nightmares about plane crashing days before my flight. Thankfully I'm not going to Pakistan this year because I don't think my heart can take a plane ride this year. At least in a car, if something bad happens like your car catching fire, you can escape. You can't do that in a plane. Your life is totally in the hands of someone who might just be some crazy idiot who wants to kill himself.
 
endymion248 said:
I'd rather not die than die with an identifiable cause.

And you are 60 times more likely to die per kilometer traveled on car than on plane, and 2400 times more likely to die per kilometer traveled on motorcycle than on plane.

As far as the role to play is concerned, there is not any more control in being hit by a drunk driver or a semi with failed breaks.

Personally, I always sleep easier in a plane than in a car.
Click to expand...

Oh of course I would rather avoid dying in the first place. I don't doubt air travel is safer than many other modes of transport either.

But the idea that a loved one can just disappear off the map from a plane that's crashed in mysterious circumstances, never having that piece of mind, that "closure" as Americans like to say - is too horrific to contemplate. To have those questions constantly circulating in your head - was it a terrorist attack ? Was it pilot suicide ? Was it technical failure ? Where's the black box etc etc.

Look at the relatives of the Flight MH370 victims. How can they ever close that chapter of their life whilst the search for the scant bits of debris is ongoing. That's not to say a gruesome head-on collision in a car is desirable either, but as a way of departing this earth - I personally find the MH370/Egyptian Air style tragedies one of the worst.
 
If you're African or pataani the chances of dying while in the air are very remote


They prefer to die on foot or on bike according to Runnymede statistics
 
The_KING said:
It maybe is the safest way of travelling but I always feel like absolute crap during the flight. I literally have panic attacks and I start to have nightmares about plane crashing days before my flight. Thankfully I'm not going to Pakistan this year because I don't think my heart can take a plane ride this year. At least in a car, if something bad happens like your car catching fire, you can escape. You can't do that in a plane. Your life is totally in the hands of someone who might just be some crazy idiot who wants to kill himself.
Click to expand...

What! I thought you're a pindi/isb guy!
 
A pilot having a cigarette in a cockpit is believed to have brought down a passenger jet killing everyone on board, an investigation has found.

EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea between Crete and the coast of northern Egypt in May 2016, killing 66 passengers and crew.

The Airbus A320 had been flying from Paris to Cairo with the Egyptian authorities claiming terrorism had been responsible for the incident.

An investigation has found that a fire broke out in the cockpit due to the oxygen escaping from the co-pilot's mask when it is believed smoking was taking place.

The cigarette would have caused the oxygen to combust.

Three days before the crash, the pilot's mask was replaced and its setting left on 'emergency' instead of 'normal' by a maintenance engineer, causing oxygen to be emitted.

Experts are not sure why the mask had been left in this setting.

The Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported it had seen the 134-page investigation document compiled by French experts which has been sent to the Paris Court of Appeal.

According to the report, Egyptian pilots would regularly smoke - just two months earlier, ashtrays in the same aircraft's cockpit needed to be replaced.

With oxygen promoting combustion inside the cockpit, the fire is said to have been triggered by a "spark or a flame".

The document also mentions how audio reveals the pilot and co-pilot expressing that "they both feel tired from this night flight and from lack of sleep" - but experts said hours of rest had been "respected for both", reported Corriere Della Sera.

https://news.sky.com/story/cigarett...ing-all-on-board-investigation-finds-12600173
 
A passenger with no flying experience landed a small plane in Florida after the pilot became "incoherent" following a medical emergency.

In live audio from a call made to air traffic control at Fort Pierce Tower, the unidentified passenger can be heard warning: "I've got a serious situation here."

"My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane, but I'm maintaining at 9100," the man said.

When asked by the tower for his position, he replied: "I have no idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me. And I have no idea."

The dispatcher told the passenger to "maintain wings level" and "try to just follow the coast, either north or south" while they worked to locate the plane.

"Push forward on the controls and descend at a very low rate," he added.

The passenger did not even know how to turn on the screens in the cockpit: "I can't even get my nav screen to turn on," he told the tower.

"It has all the information on it. You guys have any ideas on that?"

The controller - who was also a flight instructor - then walked the passenger through how to land the plane and the single-engine Cessna 208 touched down safely at the Palm Beach International Airport.

As it landed, other aircraft listened in to the broadcasts from the tower, unable to believe what had just happened.

"Man, they did a great job," someone can be heard saying in a separate call log.

"Did you say the passengers landed the plane?" another person asked.

"Oh my God. Great job."

The first person can be heard saying that the passenger had "no flying experience" before landing the plane.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office officials said that one person had been taken to hospital in connection with the incident, according to WPTV. They did not release information on the individual's condition or identity, the news station reported.

The FAA is investigating the incident.

https://news.sky.com/story/passenge...ilot-incoherent-in-medical-emergency-12610638
 
TIBET AIRLINES PASSENGER JET CATCHES FIRE

A Tibet Airlines plane caught fire Thursday after veering off the runway at a Chinese airport, but all passengers and crew were “safely evacuated”, the airline said.

The flight, carrying 113 passengers and nine crew, was headed from the southwestern city of Chongqing to Tibet’s Nyingchi when “abnormalities” were noticed and take-off was suspended, causing the jet to overrun the runway, the company said in a statement.

Images shared by Chinese state media showed flames engulfing the side of the stricken jet as terrified passengers ran from the scene.

Photos of the aftermath showed scorch marks covering the nose and one wing of the jet, which had been doused in water to control the blaze.

“All passengers and crew have been safely evacuated,” Tibet Airlines said in a statement.

“The injured passengers were all only lightly injured, and have been sent to hospital for treatment.”

Flight TV9833 deviated from the runway during take-off and “the left side of the aircraft’s nose caught fire”, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport said in a separate statement.

About 40 passengers with minor injuries were sent to hospital, the airport added.

– Investigation underway –
Operations at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport have since returned to normal.

“The cause of the accident is being investigated,” the airport said.

The incident comes after a China Eastern flight travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou plunged from 29,000 feet into a mountainside in March, killing all 132 people on board.

No reason for that crash, China’s deadliest in around 30 years, has yet been given.

Two flight recorders, or “black boxes”, were recovered and are being analysed in the United States in the hopes of unlocking the mystery behind the China Eastern jet’s rapid descent.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, China’s ruling Communist Party moved quickly to control information, revving up its censorship machine as media outlets and residents raced to the crash site.

There was no report of issues before the flight nor was there cargo declared as dangerous on the plane, according to authorities, who noted no abnormalities in the plane’s navigation and monitoring equipment.
https://arynews.tv/tibet-airlines-passenger-jet-catches-fire/
 
An investigation is under way after the death of a passenger at Gatwick Airport.

EasyJet confirmed the death, saying members of its cabin crew gave medical assistance to the unnamed passenger while waiting for help from paramedics.

The airline said: "A number of our cabin crew provided medical assistance to a passenger at Gatwick Airport whilst waiting for paramedics to arrive, however the passenger sadly later passed away.

"Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time."

Gatwick Airport said the incident occurred while airport staff were helping to disembark three passengers with restricted mobility, saying staff shortages played no role in the incident.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in recent weeks because of staff shortages across the sector.

The spokesperson said: "This is a sad and tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased.

"A member of Wilson James staff was waiting when the aircraft arrived and was in the process of disembarking the three PRM passengers when the incident occurred.

"Staff shortages were not a factor in this incident as has been claimed. It is normal for one staff member to disembark three passengers who require assistance by taking them one at a time the short distance to the waiting buggy.

"A formal investigation is currently under way and it would not be appropriate to comment further."

SKY
 
Safety on air travel is a quite a subjective statistic as there are a number of ways to calculate the safety index.

  • - Based on incidences per mile
  • - Based on incidences per fleet
  • - Based on incidences per aircraft model
  • - Based on incidences per airline
  • - Based on incidences per journey

Make no mistake about it, there are more moving parts in an aircraft (in the millions), and more service points for a single journey (ATC, Maintenance, etc) - this means more parts involved, more chance of even if said points could fail, leading to disaster.

THEN, there are the unpredictable factors such as weather (wind sheer, turbulence, pilot training, routes). Routes is a big one, airlines are looking to save costs, and will choose those shortest path possible, even over airspace that is involved in war.

There are other factors which can actually help during an emergency, such as force feedback. Boeing still uses the classic yokes, vibration, resistance etc provide physical feedback to a pilot and this can make a difference between life and death. Compare with an Airbus, which is literally flown via a joystick, with no physical feedback - this is why the Airbus cockpit is rammed with audible warnings which can, and have lead to confusion.

Pilot Training, Fatigue, Maintenance, ATC mistake - all of these can lead to disaster. Plenty of examples where engineers applied to much pressure on pilons and rivets resulting in cracks etc resulting in mechanical failure in mid-air, even engines falling off!

Of course there is the other factor, the complete trust in the pilot! As a passenger you have no option but to sit tight, trust the captain and the crew. You have ZERO control over the flight, and if you suffer from Claustrophobia, god help you.

While there is no such thing as 100% safety record, these are few pieces of advice:


  • Boeing 747 - an aircraft that was designed with resiliency and redundancy in mind. From independent hydraulics, to 4 way engine failover. Boeing 747-800 is making a slow comeback. The aviation industry doesn't call the 747 the Queen of the skies for no reason.
  • Avoid cheap low cost airlines. Pay is minimal, maintenance is average, and its all about costs savings.
  • Fly at night, thermals are much calmer.
  • If you can afford it, buy a seat in 1st/Business class, simply because the front of the aircraft is the smoothest (piercing the airflow), while the rear is bumpy (air vortex).

Last but not least, people tend to forget, if you are involved in an air crash, you have less chance of surviving compared with a train/car, which is why in aviation the aim is to avoid a disaster rather than survive one! Remember, the Concorde Crash? First ever in the aircraft's history, and it was because of some part that had failed from the aircraft that had taken off on the same runway!

Oh, and seat belts and emergency brace positions are designed to maintain the dental record of a passenger in the event of the crash. That entire crash position means your head hits the seat in front!
 
SRILANKAN AIRLINES A330 AVOIDS POSSIBLE MID-AIR COLLISION WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS B777

The vigilance of SriLankan Airlines pilots has avoided a possible mid-air collision with a British Airways aircraft, in what could have become one of the deadliest air accidents.

SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-300, with registration 4R-ALQ, took off from London Heathrow at 9:47 PM local time, destined for Colombo, Sri Lanka, as flight UL504 on June 13.

Minutes after the SriLankan flight departed Heathrow, British Airways Boeing 777-200, with registration G-YMMJ, also took off from Heathrow, bound for Mumbai, India, as flight BA199. Flight BA199 departed at 9:54 PM.

The SriLankan A330 was en route at 33,000 feet and was flying over the Turkish airspace when the ATC in Ankara cleared the A330 to climb to 35,000 feet. However, the SriLankan pilots ignored the ATC’s erroneous request to climb to 35,000 feet twice, as the flight crew noticed that the British Airways’ 777 was just 15 miles away flying at that altitude. Also, the British Airways jet was cruising at a higher speed than the SriLankan flight.

The SriLankan flight, with 274 passengers and 15 crew members onboard continued at 33,000 feet ignoring the request to climb and informed the ATC regarding the British Airways flight. Shortly after noticing the British Airways jet, the Turkish ATC quickly urged to cancel the order to climb.

https://samchui.com/2022/06/19/sril...-collision-with-british-airways/#.Yq-DO9bTU_1
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A plane has landed in Brisbane, with a hole in the side of its fuselage after a wheel exploded in the undercarriage. Emirates flight EK430 took off from Dubai yesterday before one of its wheels erupted shortly after retracting. <a href="https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5">https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7NEWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7NEWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/pskyF9pkiB">pic.twitter.com/pskyF9pkiB</a></p>— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1543148928069095424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
SpiceJets Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi

SpiceJets Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi as the fuel indicator started malfunctioning. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft made an emergency landing at Karachi airport.

New Delhi: After being stranded for nearly 11 hours in Karachi, 138 passengers of a Delhi-Dubai SpiceJet finally took off for UAE on an alternate flight that was sent from India on Tuesday evening.

SpiceJet's Boeing 737 Max aircraft had made an unscheduled landing at the Karachi airport this morning after the fuel indicator malfunctioned. Pilots on board the aircraft had indicators of a possible fuel leak from one of tanks in the wings of the jet.

According to aviation regulator, Directorate General Of Civil Aviation, ''the crew observed unusual fuel quantity reduction''. In other words, the fuel display in the cockpit appeared to indicate an unexpected loss of fuel from the aircraft. This required the pilot to make a landing in Karachi though this was a precautionary landing, not an emergency one.

"On July 5, 2022, SpiceJet B737 aircraft operating flight SG-11 (Delhi - Dubai) was diverted to Karachi due to an indicator light malfunctioning. The aircraft landed safely at Karachi and passengers were safely disembarked. No emergency was declared and the aircraft made a normal landing. There was no earlier report of any malfunction with the aircraft. Passengers have been served refreshments," the airline's spokesperson had said.

SpiceJet sent an alternate aircraft SG 9911 from Mumbai to take the passengers to Dubai which took off at around 9:20 pm, news agency PTI reported.

"Apparently there was and is a problem with the aircraft's light indicator and it couldn't be repaired immediately and it didn't get clearance from the engineers so another aircraft was sent from Mumbai," PTI reported an official as saying.

The fuel light malfunctioning was the first of two incidents involving a SpiceJet incident on Tuesday. Later in the day, a SpiceJet aircraft, flying from Gujarat's Kandla to Mumbai, made a priority landing in the Maharashtra capital after its side windshield developed a crack mid-air.

All passenger and crew members are safe, the airline said in a statement.

Aviation sources have told NDTV that this is the seventh safety-related concern in SpiceJet in less than three weeks.

The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a fleet-wide safety audit of SpiceJet aircraft just last month and continues to carry out inspections on a case-by-case basis.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/138...or-11-hours-in-pak-take-off-for-dubai-3131089
 
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An IndiGo aircraft flying from Sharjah to Hyderabad had to be diverted to Pakistan today after the pilot reported a technical defect in the aircraft, the airline has said. The plane made a precautionary landing in Karachi and all the passengers are safe, it said.

"IndiGo flight 6E-1406, operating from Sharjah to Hyderabad was diverted to Karachi. The pilot observed a technical defect. Necessary procedures were followed and as a precaution the aircraft was diverted to Karachi. An additional flight is being sent to Karachi to fly the passengers to Hyderabad," the airline said in a release.

This is the second Indian airline to make a landing in Karachi in two weeks.

Earlier this month, a SpiceJet aircraft from Delhi to Dubai made an unscheduled stop in the Pakistan city due to a malfunctioning indicator light.

The 138 passengers later left for Dubai in a replacement flight that was sent from India.

Speaking about the incident, SpiceJet boss Ajay Singh, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, had detailed the challenges faced by the airline to get clearances from the Pakistan government.

The Pakistan government took a lot of time in giving clearances. "It took a fair while, we really did regret that. But they did allow us to take the passengers out of the plane and into the lounge," Mr Singh said.

The replacement aircraft was sent, but it took a long time because clearances in Pakistan take a lot of time especially when it comes to Indian aircraft, he said.

"Of course you have to use your best officers to get clearances in Pakistan...It was very tense. We were concerned," Mr Singh said. "Well, we had kept the government, the regulator as well as our Ambassador in Pakistan informed and of course, everybody assisted in the process," he added.

The aviation regulator conducted a fleet-wide safety audit of SpiceJet aircraft just last month and continues to carry out inspections on a case by case basis.

NDTV
 
Dramatic footage has captured a passenger plane as it flipped over during a crash-landing on an airport runway.

skynews-plane-flip-crash-mogadishu_5838421.jpg


The incident happened at Aden Adde international airport in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

The crew and all passengers on board - around 30 - escaped.

Video from the scene showed the plane upside down after having apparently tipped over on landing.

Black smoke and flames rose into the air as fire trucks approached the runway and firefighters began hosing down the wreckage.

The Jubba Airways-operated plane was arriving on a domestic flight from the inland city of Baidoa.

The company said the plane was a Fokker-50 which is turboprop-powered.

SKY
 
Two PIA planes narrowly escape mid-air disaster over Iranian airspace: report
Both the PIA passenger planes were on the same route and altitude due to alleged negligence of the Iranian Air Traffic Control, says report

TEHRAN: Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes narrowly escaped mid-air disaster on Sunday when they came dangerously close to each other over Iranian territory.

Both the planes were on the same route and altitude due to alleged negligence of the Iranian Air Traffic Control (ATC), which is said to have cleared the same altitude for both of the PIA planes, Daily Dawn reported.

According to details, a PIA Boeing 777 was en route from Islamabad to Dubai while the airline’s other aircraft Airbus A320 was heading from Doha to Peshawar when they came dangerously close to each other over the Iranian airspace near the UAE.

Sensing the danger, the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) of the planes got activated and one of the aircraft was asked to ascend and the other descended as per standard practice, the publication reported.

TCAS is installed on all the planes and automatically guides the plane by communicating with the TCAS of other aircraft.

A PIA spokesperson confirmed the incident to the newspaper and said: “PIA is writing to Iranian air traffic control (ATC) to investigate as the Iranian ATC instructed the plane, but it was wrong.”

Giving details, the spokesperson said that PIA flight PK-211, a Boeing 777 from Islamabad to Dubai, was maintaining a 35,000-foot altitude when it came close to Peshawar-bound flight PK-268 of Airbus A320 from Doha.

PK-268 flight was flying at an altitude of 36,000 feet and was cleared to descend to 20,000 feet, he said, adding that the descent would have come in the flight path of PIA flight of Boeing 777 PK-211, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson added that the aircraft’s TCAS corrected the course for both planes and automatically guided them.

The News PK
 
The bosses of Airbus and Air France have been greeted with cries of "shame" at the opening of a long-awaited trial in Paris connected with a deadly 2009 plane crash off Brazil.

The firms deny involuntary manslaughter in the loss of the Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Investigators found the pilots had lost control when air-speed sensors froze, and all 228 people on board died.

Families of the deceased have campaigned for years for a trial.

Relatives shouted protests as Air France Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anne Rigail and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury expressed their condolences during opening statements.

Mr Faury told reporters "it will be a difficult trial" and that the company wanted to contribute to "truth and understanding". Ms Rigail expressed "the deepest compassion" after telling the court Air France would never forget its worst ever accident.

But Mr Faury's remarks met cries of "shame" and "too little, too late".

"Thirteen years we have been waiting for this day and we have prepared for a long time," Daniele Lamy, who lost her son in the crash, told Reuters news agency before the hearing.

The Air France Flight 447 crashed hours after departing from Rio de Janeiro, having run into a high altitude thunderstorm.

After a years-long search for the plane's black boxes, investigators concluded that speed sensors on the plane failed and gave false readings, causing the plane to stall.

The pilots then failed to follow correct procedure and lost control of the aircraft, which plunged 38,000ft (11,580 m) into the ocean. The captain was on a break when problems began and investigators concluded that the co-pilots did not have the training to deal with malfunctioning equipment.

Judges had initially charged both the airline and manufacturer with manslaughter, but the prosecutor then recommended that only Air France should go on trial. In September 2019 charges against both were dropped, because there were not enough grounds to prosecute.

That decision was challenged, and in May last year the Paris appeals court decided that both Air France and Airbus should face trial.

Both firms risk a maximum fine of €225,000 (£200,000; $218,500) in a trial expected to last several weeks.

BBC
 
Australia helicopter collision: Four dead in mid-air incident over Gold Coast

Four people have died after a mid-air collision between two helicopters near Seaworld on Australia's Gold Coast.

Queensland Police say initial investigations suggest the crash happened as one aircraft was taking off and the other was landing.

Those who died were travelling in the same helicopter. Three other passengers are in a critical condition.

Two UK citizens were among those killed in the crash, a foreign office spokesperson told the BBC.

They added that officials were supporting the families of the two victims - who have not been named - and would remain "in contact with the local authorities".

Five of the six people on the other aircraft, which made an emergency landing, suffered minor injuries.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country had been left shocked by the "terrible and tragic incident".

"My thoughts are with all those affected, including first responders, and my deepest sympathies are with those who are grieving," he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the collision, which happened at about 14:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

The two aircraft came down near a tourist strip known as Main Beach, about 75km (47 miles) south of Brisbane.

Gary Worrell of the Queensland Police Service said: "It's a difficult scene, Due to the area it's located, on the sand bank, it was difficult to gain access, to get our emergency services to the scene to manage it appropriately."

Images from the site show debris strewn around the area and a mangled helicopter apparently lying upside down opposite the Seaworld resort.

The other helicopter has the popular marine park's logo on its fuselage and appears to have made an emergency landing after the collision.

Mr Worrell said members of the public and police had tried to remove passengers from the aircraft and performed first aid on the injured.

According to the Seaworld website the park offers sightseeing helicopter flights for tourists, as well as carrying out other charter operations.

Seaworld Drive, the main access road to the marine park, has been closed to traffic by local police.

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell asked eyewitnesses who saw the collision or the helicopters in flight to contact investigators.

A preliminary report will be made public in the next six to eight weeks, with a final report to follow once the investigation is complete, he added.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called the incident an "unthinkable tragedy" and said her "deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident".

The Gold Coast region is currently in its peak tourist season, with children on their summer breaks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64142696
 
FAA system outage causes thousands of flight delays and cancellations across the US

New York (CNN) — The airline industry slowly resumed service after a Federal Aviation Administration system outage caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations across the United States Wednesday.

The FAA briefly halted all domestic flight departures across the US Wednesday morning, lifting the ground stop around 9 a.m. ET after it restored a system that provides pilots with pre-flight safety notices.

But airlines continued to delay or cancel flights because of ongoing congestion.
By late Wednesday afternoon, the FAA's website was still showing ground delays at some airports.

Major US carriers including United Airlines, Delta and American Airlines all said they had grounded flights in response to the situation. United and Delta have issued travel waivers in response to the outage.

American Airlines said its customers could rebook their flights Wednesday and Thursday without additional fees.

...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/faa-computer-outage-flights-grounded/index.html
 
A plane with 72 people on board has crashed near an airport in central Nepal and at least 40 bodies have been recovered, officials say.

The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing, catching fire.

Videos posted on social media show an aircraft flying low over a populated area before spinning sharply.

There were 68 passengers on board, including at least 15 foreign nationals, and four crew members.

Hundreds of Nepalese soldiers are involved in the operation at the crash site in the gorge of the Seti River, just one and a half kilometres from the airport.

BBC
 
MenInG said:
A plane with 72 people on board has crashed near an airport in central Nepal and at least 40 bodies have been recovered, officials say.

The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing, catching fire.

Videos posted on social media show an aircraft flying low over a populated area before spinning sharply.

There were 68 passengers on board, including at least 15 foreign nationals, and four crew members.

Hundreds of Nepalese soldiers are involved in the operation at the crash site in the gorge of the Seti River, just one and a half kilometres from the airport.

BBC
Click to expand...

Moments before the crash

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Nepalis are observing a day of mourning for victims of the country's worst air disaster for some three decades.

At least 68 people died when a flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing and caught fire on Sunday morning.

Mobile phone footage showed the Yeti Airlines flight rolling sharply as it approached the airport.

It is unclear what caused the crash, but Nepal has a tragic history of fatal airline accidents.
 
Hopes of finding survivors from Nepal's worst air disaster in decades are fading, police say.

"It's unlikely there will be any survivors," spokesperson Tek Prasad Rai told the BBC. Teams were finding body parts at the scene, he added.

At least 68 people died when a flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed and caught fire on Sunday morning.

It is still unclear what caused the crash.

Mobile phone footage showed the Yeti Airlines flight rolling sharply as it approached the airport. It then hit the ground in the gorge of the Seti River, just over a kilometre from the airport.

There were 72 passengers and crew on board the flight.

On Monday some 300 rescuers resumed their search, combing through the charred wreckage.
 
The co-pilot of the ill-fated flight that crashed in Nepal on Sunday lost her husband in a plane crash 16 years earlier, it has emerged.

Anju Khatiwada was co-piloting Yeti Airlines flight 691 when it smashed into a gorge near the tourist town of Pokhara, killing all on board in the country's worst air disaster in 30 years.

Her husband Dipak Pokhrel had also been co-piloting a Yeti Airlines flight when he died - and it was his death that spurred Anju to pursue a career in aviation.

Distraught at her loss, alone with their young child, Anju's grief became her motivating force.

"She was a determined woman who stood for her dreams and fulfilled the dreams of her husband," family member Santosh Sharma said.

Dipak was in the cockpit of a Twin Otter prop plane which was carrying rice and food to the western town of Jumla when it came down and burst into flames in June 2006, killing all nine people on board.

Four years later Anju was on the path to becoming a pilot, overcoming many obstacles to train in the US. Once qualified, she joined Yeti Airlines.

A trailblazer, Anju was one of just six women employed by the airline as pilots, and had flown close to 6,400 hours.

"She was a full captain at the airline who had done solo flights," Sudarshan Bartaula from Yeti Airlines said. "She was a brave woman."

Anju later remarried and had a second child as she continued to build her career. Friends and family say she adored her job, and was a delight to be around.

At the crash site in Pokhara, parts of the plane Anju was co-piloting lay scattered on the banks of the River Seti, strewn like battered pieces of a broken toy. A small section of the aircraft rested on the gorge, windows intact and the green and yellow of Yeti Airlines still visible.

BBC
 
US air safety officials say that the glitch that led to travel chaos at airports last week was actually caused by a contractor deleting files on a crucial computer server used by pilots.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the worker "unintentionally deleted files" on the Notice to Air Missions (Notam) database.

The system alerts pilots to potential hazards on flight routes. They are required to check it before flights.

Lawmakers vowed to look into the issue.
 
What Is The Safest Seat On A Plane? Aviation Expert Answers
We rarely book a flight with hopes of getting one of the middle seats in the last row. Here's a look at which seats are statistically the safest ones on a plane.

When booking a flight, do you ever think about which seat will protect you the most in an emergency? Probably not.
Most people book seats for comfort, such as leg room, or convenience, such as easy access to toilets. Frequent flyers (this author included) might book their seat as close as possible to the front so they can disembark more quickly.

We rarely book a flight with hopes of getting one of the middle seats in the last row. Well, guess what? These seats are statistically the safest ones on an airplane.

Air travel is safe
Before we get into it, I should reiterate that air travel is the safest mode of transport. In 2019, there were just under 70 million flights globally, with only 287 fatalities.

According to the US National Safety Council's analysis of census data, the odds of dying in a plane are about 1 in 205,552, compared with 1 in 102 in a car. Even so, we pay little attention to fatal road accidents, but when we hear about an ATR72 crashing in Nepal it's the lead story on every news page.

Our interest in plane crashes might lie in wanting to understand why they happen, or what the odds are of them happening again. And perhaps it's not a bad thing; our concern ensures these tragic incidents are thoroughly investigated, which helps keep air travel safe.

Frankly speaking, there is no real need to worry about safety when you board a commercial flight. But if you've still got that nagging question in your head, driven by sheer curiosity, read on.

In the middle, at the back
It's worth remembering accidents by their very nature do not conform to standards. In the 1989 United Flight 232 crash in Sioux City, Iowa, 184 of the 269 people onboard survived the accident. Most of the survivors were sitting behind first class, towards the front of the plane.

Nonetheless, a TIME investigation that looked at 35 years of aircraft accident data found the middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared with 44% for the middle aisle seats.

This logically makes sense too. Sitting next to an exit row will always provide you with the fastest exit in the case of an emergency, granted there's no fire on that side. But the wings of a plane store fuel, so this disqualifies the middle exit rows as the safest row option.

At the same time, being closer to the front means you'll be impacted before those in the back, which leaves us with the last exit row. As for why the middle seats are safer than the window or aisle seats, that is, as you might expect, because of the buffer provided by having people on either side.

...
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/wha...rt-answers-3797328#pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories
 
Man charged after 'attempting to open emergency exit door' and 'stabbing attendant in neck' on flight to Boston
Court documents revealed a flight attendant notified the captain that the suspect posed a threat to the aircraft and that the plane needed to land as soon as possible.

A man has been charged and arrested after allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while onboard a flight from Los Angeles to Boston - before then trying to stab a flight attendant in the neck, prosecutors have said.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, according to the US Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts.

The charging documents claim he was a passenger on board a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston on 5 March.

Around 45 minutes before landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed.

Upon inspection, a flight attendant discovered the door's locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position, and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the "disarmed" position.

...
https://news.sky.com/story/man-char...ttendant-in-neck-on-flight-to-boston-12827651
 
SEOUL (Reuters) - A passenger on an Asiana Airlines flight told police he opened a door on the plane minutes before it landed in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday because he was "uncomfortable", Yonhap News Agency reported.

The man, in his thirties, told police that he opened the door because he "wanted to get off the plane quickly", Yonhap said, citing the Daegu Dongbu Police Station. He also told police he was stressed after losing his job recently.

Reuters could not immediately reach police at the station.

The man opened the door when the plane was about 700 feet (213m) above the ground, causing panic onboard.

Nine passengers were sent to the hospital with breathing issues. All were dismissed from the hospital after about two hours, a fire department official said.

Police plan to arrest the detained man after investigations conclude, Yonhap said.

Jin Seong-hyun, a former Korean Air cabin safety official, said that as far has he knew, this case was unprecedented, but that passengers have opened emergency exits without authorisation while the plane is on the ground.

A South Korean transport ministry official said yesterday that it was possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.
 
A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames after an apparent collision with a smaller coastguard aircraft on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport.

All 379 passengers and crew on board were evacuated but five of the six crew on the coastguard plane died, police said. The captain was injured.

Footage showed flames engulfing the airliner. The runway was also alight.

Fire crews are still battling to douse the blaze on the plane, which arrived from Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido.

Japan Airlines Flight 516 departed from Sapporo's New Chitose airport at 16:00 local time (07:00 GMT) and was scheduled to land at Haneda at 17:40.

"We are currently assessing the extent of the damage," the airline said, according to a report by public broadcaster NHK.

Police in Tokyo confirmed reports that the five coastguard crew members had died, and said the pilot was severely injured.

What caused the collision remains unclear. The coastguard said an investigation was under way to establish how and at what time the two aircraft came into contact with each other.

Five dead on coastguard plane after Tokyo crash - follow live
Dramatic videos show how plane is overcome by fire at Haneda airport
Earlier, Japan Airlines had said its plane collided with the coastguard plane after landing, NHK reported.

The coastguard aircraft was heading to Niigata airport from Haneda to help with the rescue and relief mission following Monday's earthquake in Ishikawa. It was one four planes on a mission to the quake site.

TV footage showed multiple fire trucks at the scene as smoke and flames billowed from the plane.

One woman posted a picture of a huge crowd watching the scene unfold.

"I was on board. I'm safe. Thank goodness," she wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Haneda airport closed all its runways after the incident, Reuters said quoting a spokesperson for the airport.

BBC
 
Five dead after JAL airliner crashes into quake aid plane at Tokyo airport

All 379 people aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane escaped the burning airliner after a collision with a Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda airport that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft on Tuesday.

At one point a child's voice can be heard shouting: "Let us get out quickly! Let us get out quickly!"

All 367 passengers and 12 crew were evacuated from the blazing airliner, but the fire was not extinguished until shortly after midnight, after burning for more than six hours, broadcaster TBS reported citing the fire department.

"I was wondering what happened and then I felt the airplane tilted to the side at the runway and felt a big bump," said Satoshi Yamake, 59, a telecommunications company worker who was on board. "The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane."

Fourteen people on the passenger plane were injured, according to Japan Airlines, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that five of the Coast Guard aircraft's crew had died, while the 39-year-old captain of the plane escaped but was injured.

A ministry official told a press briefing the JAL plane was attempting to land normally when it collided with the Coast Guard's Bombardier-built Dash-8 maritime patrol plane on the runway.

There had been no reports of engine or other problems on the airliner before the landing, the official said.

The Coast Guard said its plane was headed to Niigata on Japan's west coast to deliver aid to those caught up in a powerful earthquake that struck on New Year's Day, killing at least 55 people.

A JAL official told a press briefing it was the airline's understanding that the flight had received permission to land, although he added that exchanges with flight control were still under investigation.


 
A Japanese coast guard aircraft which collided with a passenger plane at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport was instructed only to “taxi to holding point” and had not been cleared for takeoff, an official transcript of air traffic control communications released Wednesday suggests.

Saito on Wednesday released the transcript of more than four minutes of communications between air traffic controllers and the two planes immediately before the accident, which indicates the Japan Airlines flight had been given permission to land but does not show clear takeoff approval for the coast guard aircraft.

In a further development, publicly available records appeared to suggest that out-of-service warning lights – designed to stop pilots from erroneously taxiing onto the runway – could have been another factor in the crash.



Source: CNN
 
Boeing 737 Max 9: Jets to stay grounded as inspections continue

The US aviation regulator has said 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes will remain grounded until it is satisfied the planes are safe.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been inspecting the jets after part of an Alaska Airlines plane's fuselage fell off on Friday.

The FAA said its first priority was "keeping the flying public safe".

Thousands of passengers saw their flights cancelled after major US airlines grounded dozens of the jets.

Alaska said flight disruptions are expected to last into next week. United Airlines has grounded 79 planes.

"We have grounded the affected airplanes, and they will remain grounded until the FAA is satisfied that they are safe," the agency said in a statement on Sunday.

Disruptions have primarily affected flights in the US.

Meanwhile, authorities are still searching for the plug door - which they believe fell to the ground in the western suburbs of Portland - and have appealed to the public to help find the panel.

During Friday's incident, Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, reached 16,000ft (4,876m) when it began an emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.

Passengers on board said a large section of the plane's outer shell fell to the ground shortly after take-off.

Images sent to news outlets show the night sky and lights of Portland visible through the gap in the fuselage, with insulation material and other debris also seen.

One passenger said the gap was "as wide as a refrigerator" while another said a child's shirt was ripped off in the wind as the plane made its emergency landing.

The plane, carrying 177 passengers and crew, landed safely back in Portland. Alaska said several passengers were injured, but not seriously.



BBC
 
Russian charter flight with 6 people disappears over Afghanistan; crash reported

Russian aviation authorities said on Sunday a Russian-registered plane with six people thought to be on board disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan the previous night, after local Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash.

Russian aviation authorities said in a statement the plane was a charter ambulance flight traveling from India, via Uzbekistan to Moscow on a French-made Dassault Aviation (AM.PA), opens new tab Falcon 10 jet manufactured in 1978.

Police in northern Afghanistan received reports of a plane crash in Badakhshan province, a provincial police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Zabihullah Amiri, a spokesperson for Badakhshan's provincial government, told Reuters a team had been sent to the location of the crash, but it was a remote area more than 200 km (124 miles) from the provincial capital Fayzabad and would take the team 12 hours to reach.

The Afghan provincial police spokesperson said in a statement the crash had taken place overnight in a remote, mountainous region of Badakhshan in Afghanistan's far north.

He said there were no confirmed details on the type of plane, cause of the crash or casualties.

India's civil aviation authority said that the plane crash was not a scheduled commercial flight or an Indian chartered aircraft and that "more details are awaited."

Aircraft manufacturer Dassault did not respond immediately to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

SOURCE: REUTERS​
 

Plane catches fire and skids off runway in Senegal, injuring at least 10 people​

Ten people were injured after a Boeing plane skidded off a runway in Senegal's capital.

The Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako in neighbouring Mali and 10 of the 85 people on board were injured as a result of the incident, Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said.

"Our plane just caught fire," wrote Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko in a post on Facebook that showed passengers jumping down the emergency slides at night as flames engulfed one side of the aircraft.

Screams can be heard in the background. Passengers have either been taken to hospital or to a hotel to rest and recover.

The Aviation Safety Network published photos of the damaged plane in a grassy field, surrounded by fire suppressant foam, on X.

One engine on board the Boeing 737-300 appeared to have broken apart and a wing was also damaged, photos published by the Aviation Safety Network, which tracks airline accidents, on social media purport to show.

The airport reopened on Thursday morning after closing overnight.

Boeing referred a request for comment to the airlines.

It was the third incident involving a Boeing airplane this week.

news.sky.com

Plane catches fire and skids off runway in Senegal, injuring at least 10 people

The Air Senegal flight was carrying 85 people and Bamako in neighbouring Mali, Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
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